Bihar to seek Rs 56,000 crore from Centre for roads

As per the memoranda carried by the deputy CM to New Delhi, he is expected to demand Rs 22,000 crore for the construction and widening of various NHs, including four new mega road bridges proposed by PM Narendra Modi in his Rs 1.25 lakh crore Bihar package announced during the state assembly poll campaignMadan Kumar | TNN | December 29, 2015, 15:44 IST

PATNA: Bihar will seek financial assistance of Rs 55,970 crore from the Centre for the construction, development and renovation of various national highways (NHs) and mega bridges when deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav will call on Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on December 30.

“Tejashwi, who reached New Delhi on Saturday night, is scheduled to meet Gadkari at the latter’s office on December 30,” an official of state road construction department (RCD) told TOI on Sunday.

As per the memoranda carried by the deputy CM to New Delhi, he is expected to demand Rs 22,000 crore for the construction and widening of various NHs, including four new mega road bridges proposed by PM Narendra Modi in his Rs 1.25 lakh crore Bihar package announced during the state assembly poll campaign.

As per initial estimates, out of this Rs 22,000 crore, nearly Rs 13,000 crore would be spent on the construction of four mega bridges proposed on the Ganga, Sone and Kosi. Besides complete rehabilitation of the existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu near Patna at a cost of 2,800 crore, a new four-lane bridge would also be constructed parallel to the Setu (cost Rs 5,000 crore). The proposed bridge on Sone would be constructed between Panduka (Nauhata, Rohtas) in Bihar and Shrinagar (Garhwa) in Jharkhand at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,000 crore, while the proposed bridge on Kosi will be built between Phulaut (Madhepura) and Bihpur (Bhagalpur) at an expenditure of over Rs 3,000 crore, the RCD official said.

Besides, Tejashwi will seek another Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre for completing the ongoing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works in various NHs across the state. The RCD has also enclosed a list of NHs where funds are required for the pending EPC works. He would also demand another sum of Rs 13,000 crore for the construction of roads along the India-Nepal border under the Bharat Mala project.

The RJD official said Tejashwi would also request Gadkari for reimbursement of Rs 970 crore which was spent by the department on the repair of various NHs between 2006-11. CM Nitish Kumar has, time and again, sought reimbursement of this amount from the Centre.

A few weeks ago, Tejashwi had sent a series of letters to Gadkari seeking release of funds to Bihar for expediting the ongoing road and bridge projects.

The deputy CM is expected to demand Rs 22,000 crore for the construction and widening of various NHs, including four new mega road bridges proposed by PM Narendra Modi in his Rs 1.25 lakh crore Bihar package.